Facebook recently announced that it will be rolling out Instagram ads features to all users. Dubbed as a ‘game changer’ by many, should you and your marketing team be excited about Instagram ads?
In this article, I will discuss the biggest advantages Instagram ads has over every other PPC platform and which businesses it will be most useful for.
Instagram Users Are Engagement Junkies
Instagram recently overtook Twitter as the 3rd biggest social media platform (just behind Facebook and YouTube) in the west, and receives more engagement than any other social media site: 
Source: Forrester
If content receives more engagement on Instagram it only makes sense that users will also interact more with ads. We all know by now that visual content receives more engagement than text and URLs, and is why Instagram blows everyone else out the water in terms of engagement.
The Instagram Ad Demographic
Unlike Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo and Bing who all have a similar(ish) age demographic, Instagram is mostly used by teenagers and young adults, with 37% of all Instagram users aged between 18-29:
Source: Jenn’s Trends
We shouldn’t see this trend changing anytime soon either, as more teens are choosing Instagram over the likes of Facebook and Twitter:
Source: Statista
One of the reasons for this is because teens don’t have the attention span to read articles and prefer to consume pictures and videos. They also said that they don’t have to add their parents because so few of them use Instagram unlike Facebook.
Facebook is becoming less desirable for teenagers and a difficult to place to target the younger demographic as they continue to flock away.
Instagram users like to spend money
Yes it’s true, Instagram users spend more money than any other type of social media user. There are already thousands of businesses who generate 100% of their trade from the platform. ABC even did a piece discussing how Instagram users search for products by treating a brand’s photo feed as an online shopping mall to decide what to buy.
If someone wants a new dress, is thinking about ordering a pizza or purchasing a new gadget, for many Instagram is their first destination to gather research. The ABC report said that 93% of all fashion brands are using Instagram to showcase their products to the public.
With the rollout of Instagram direct-response ads which lead users straight to product pages, Instagram will be a goldmine for many businesses.
Are Instagram Ads Right For Your Business?
If your business focuses on supplying a service (car repairs, lawyer, Realtor, insurance) then Instagram ads won’t be for you I’m afraid. Instagram works best with visual content that inspires users, it’s going to be extremely difficult to get the younger demographic riled up about home insurance or properties to rent (even if you use amazing filters).
Businesses who are in the hospitality industry, health and fitness, consumer goods, fashion, grooming and similar niches where a large part of your marketing content is focused around visual content, Instagram will be for you.
Amazing content and providing your audience with value will be the key to success to advertising on Instagram, straight up in your face advertising won’t work.
Early Instagram ad adaptors such as McDonald’s and Michael Kors received a mixed bag of comments with their sponsored content, with many users being angry or upset at seeing their ads (they weren’t relevant).
Tactics that are used on Google or Facebook are not going to work as well on Instagram. Campaigns must be sharper and ads tailored to consumer needs. Success can be had on Instagram which Ben & Jerry’s experienced by gaining over 50,000 followers through ad creation on Instagram.
Summary On Instagram Ads
While other ad platforms do allow us to target the younger demographics, it’s never really been that effective. I’ll be keeping a close eye on Instagram ads over the coming months as I think this will become a huge hit for businesses who can brand effectively and create inspiring visual content.
What are your thoughts on Instagram as a marketing platform?
Nick Bridges
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